Every NBA team’s Mount Rushmore

Boston Celtics

Bill Russell played 13 seasons and was named an All-Star 12 times. He won 11 titles with the Boston Celtics, including an incredible eight in a row from 1959 to 1966, and took home five MVP awards. He’s is perhaps the greatest defensive player in league history but is also famous for his leadership with the Celtics. Russell belongs on the Celtics’ Mt. Rushmore, and the NBA’s as well.

Bob Cousy was one of the NBA’s first great point guards. Already a terrific scorer and facilitator, once Bill Russell joined the team he helped key the early part of Boston’s dominant dynasty. Over the course of his career he led the NBA in assists eight years in a row and won six titles in Boston. Cousy helped build the Celtics’ legacy from the ground up.

Larry Bird is the face of the Celtics for an entire generation. Although he often presented a stoic exterior, Bird was famous for his trash-talking on the court and his flashy game — no-look passes and incredible shot-making. Along with Magic Johnson, Bird helped grow the NBA for a national audience and bring the league out of the darker and financially unstable 1970s. Bird’s career was cut short by injury but he brought three additional titles to Boston.

Paul Pierce carried the Celtics to their most recent championship. For nine seasons he led Boston with his aggressive defense and clutch shot-making. For the 2007-08 season, he was joined by Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and finally had enough firepower around him to win it all. Boston took the 2008 championship from their hated rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, with Pierce winning Finals MVP. Pierce left Boston after the 2012-13 season, second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list, and first in team history in steals and 3-pointers.